Governance (91)

The US Department of Justise defines white collar crimes as economic offenses that constitute those classes of non-violent but illegal activities which principally involve traditional notions of deceit, deception, concealment, manipulation, breach of trust, subterfuge or illegal circumvention.

"A murder may be committed in the heat of moment upon passions being aroused. An economic offence is committed with cool calculation and deliberate design with an eye on personal profit regardless of the consequence to the Community."

This was the profound observation of the Hon'ble Supreme court in the securities scam case - popularly called as Harshad Mehta case.

Obviously, when an economic crime is carried out in a calm and collected manner, it becomes extremely difficult even for best of investigating agencies to figure out the role played by various parties.

Some may have actively connived; some passively. And that is the crux of the issue - whether the former finance minister "passively connived" with the other accused in the 2G scam.

Murder may be committed in the heat of moment upon passions being aroused. An economic offence is committed with cool calculation and deliberate design with an eye on personal profit regardless of the consequence to the community." This was the observation of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the securities scam case, popularly known as the Harshad Mehta case.

When an economic crime is carried out in a calm and collected manner, it becomes extremely difficult even for the best of investigating agencies to figure out the role played by the parties to the loot. Some may have actively connived; some passively. And that is the crux of the issue: whether P. Chidambaram, the former Finance Minister, "connived" with the other accused in the 2G scam.

It is in this context that we have to look into the petition of Subramanian Swamy to the trial court seeking to include Chidambaram as an accused in the 2G scam.